[Sidenote: Gen. 5. Gen. 12. 15. Esai. 7. 8.]
For this we constantlie beleif, that God, efter the feirfull and
horribill defectioun of man frome his obedience, did seik Adam agane,
call upoun him, rebuk his syn, convict him of the same, and in the end
maid unto him a maist joyfull promeisse, to witt, "That the seid of
the woman sould brek doun the serpentis heid;" that is, he sould
destroy the warkis of the Devill. Quhilk promeis, as it was repeitit
and maid mair cleir from tyme to tyme, sua was it embraceit with joy,
and maist constantlie retenit[220] of all the faithfull, frome Adam to
Noah, frome Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and sua furth to
the incarnatioun of Chryst Jesus: quha all (we mene the faithfull
Fatheris under the law,) did se the joyfull dayis of Christ Jesus, and
did rejoyse.
[220] In the old printed copies, "ressavit."
THE CONTINUANCE, INCREASE, AND PRESERVATIOUN OF THE KIRK.[221]--CAP.
V.
[221] In the editions 1561, "Church."
[Sidenote: Ezech. 16.]
[Sidenote: Gen. 12. 13. Exod. 1. 2. Exod. 20.]
[Sidenote: Josu. 1. 2. 3. 1 Sam. 1. 23. 2 Reg. 17.]
[Sidenote: 2 Reg. 24. 25. Deut. 28. Jere. 39. Esdr. 1. Agg. 1, 2.
Zach. 3.]
We maist constantlie beleif, that God preservit, instructit,
multipleit, honourit, decoirit, and frome death callit to lyfe his
Kirk in all aiges, fra Adam, till the cuming of Chryst Jesus in the
flesche: for Abraham he callit frome his fatheris cuntrey, him he
instructit, his seid he multipleit, the same he marvalouslie
preservit, and mair marvelouslie delyverit frome the bondage [and
tyranny] of Pharao; to thame he gaif his lawis, constitutiouns, and
ceremoneis; thame he possessit in the land of Canaan; to thame efter
Jugeis, and efter Saule he gaif David to be kyng, to quham he maid
promeise, "That of the fruit of his loynis sould ane sitt for ever
upoun his regall saitt." To this same pepill from tyme to tyme he send
propheittis to reduce thame to the recht way of thair God, frome the
quhilk often tymis thay declyneit by idolatrie. And albeit for thair
stubburne contempt of justice, he was compellit to gif thame in the
handis of thair ennemeis, as befoir was threatnit by the mouth of
Moyses, in samekill that the halye citie[222] was destroyit, the
tempill brynt with fyre, and the haill land left desolat the space of
sevintie yeiris; yitt of mercy did he reduce thame agane to Jerusalem,
quhair the citie and tempill war reedifeit, and they, against all
temptatiounis and assaultis of Sathan, did abyde till the Messias
came, according to the promeise.
[222] In the MSS. of Knox, "the haill citie."